The invention relates to a new and distinct variety of sweet orange tree, Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck, named ‘SF14W-62’. SF14W-62 is a moderately vigorous tree that produces standard ‘Valencia’ type sweet orange fruit but with a significantly earlier fruit maturation date (4 to 8 weeks) than standard ‘Valencia’ trees. In Florida, fruit can generally be harvested from mid-January through February, depending on environmental conditions. Juice quality from fruit of ‘SF14W-62’ is equivalent to that of ‘Valencia’, the highest quality juice from oranges currently available. ‘SF14W-62’ provides the processing industry with earlier blending opportunities with ‘Hamlin’ or ‘Midsweet’ sweet oranges to improve the flavor and color of NFC (Not From Concentrate) orange juice. In the event of January or February freeze-mandated harvests in Florida, this blending opportunity would allow for grade A juice recovery and would significantly lessen economic losses as would normally be encountered with standard ‘Valencia’ oranges that have not reached full maturity at this time.
‘SF14W-62’ originated as a somaclonal tree regenerated from protoplasts isolated from an embryogenic suspension of tissue culture of standard ‘Valencia’ (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) in 1989. For the methodology, see Grosser, J.W. and F.G.J. Gmitter (1990). Protoplast fusion and citrus improvement. pp. 339-374. In: Janick, J. (Ed.). Plant Breeding Reviews. Timber Press, Inc, Portland, Oreg., USA. The original ‘SF14W-62’ tree was grafted to ‘Carrizo’ (unpatented) citrange rootstock and planted at a collaborative research block in Venus, Fla. in 1991. ‘SF14W-62’ is a true ‘Valencia’ sweet orange with an altered maturity date that allows for harvest 4 to 8 weeks earlier than traditional ‘Valencia’ clones. ‘SF14W-62’ has been subsequently asexually reproduced by inverted “T” bud-grafting onto widely-used commercial citrus rootstocks ‘Carrizo’ citrange and ‘Swingle’ citrumelo. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations via an inverted “T” graft.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar have not been applied for. ‘SF14W-62’ has not been made publicly available or sold more than one year prior to the filing of this application.